Here's how it all happened...
Bermuda was discovered in the early 1500s, probably in 1503, although the evidence for the exact year, and the identity of the discoverer, is sketchy. It was certainly known by 1511, when Peter Martyr published his Legatio Babylonica, which mentioned Bermuda. The discovery is attributed to a Spanish explorer, Juan de Bermudez. Nothing is known of his supposed first visit; he returned again in 1515, with the chronicler Oviedo y Valdes. Oviedo's account of the second visit (published in 1526) records that they made no attempt to land because of weather. Centuries: 15th century - 16th century - 17th century Decades: 1450s 1460s 1470s 1480s 1490s - 1500s - 1510s 1520s 1530s 1540s 1550s Years: 1500 1501 1502 1503 1504 1505 1506 1507 1508 1509 1510 Events and Trends Leonardo da Vinci paints the Mona Lisa External links 1500-1524 Events 1500-1509 Events Categories... Events January 20 - Seville in Castile is awarded exclusive right to trade with the New World. ... Events Diego Velázquez and Hernán Cortés conquer Cuba; Velázquez appointed Governor. ... The original Peter Martyr was a 13th century Dominican saint. ... // Events June - Invasion of Persia by Sultan Selim I of the Ottoman Empire. ... Events January 14 - Treaty of Madrid. ...
During the following decades, other visits from explorers of various nationalities ensued, including many whose stays resulted from being shipwrecked on the treacherous reefs surrounding the then-uninhabited islands. Among the latter were a group of Portuguese sailors in 1543, and Henry May in 1593. Events February 21 - Battle of Wayna Daga - A combined army of Ethiopian and Portuguese troops defeat the armies of Adal led by Ahmed Gragn. ... Events May 18 - Playwright Thomas Kyds accusations of heresy lead to an arrest warrant for Christopher Marlowe. ...
Bermuda was first settled in 1609 by shipwrecked English colonists who were originally headed for Virginia. A fleet of nine ships owned by the Virginia Company of London set sail from Plymouth, England with fresh supplies and additional colonists for the new British settlement at Jamestown. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Somers on board the flagship, the Sea Venture. During a fierce storm the Sea Venture strayed from the rest of the fleet, and struck Bermuda's reefs. Somers managed to land all 150 crew and colonists on the uninhabited island without the loss of a single life. // Events April 4 – King of Spain signs an edit of expulsion of all moriscos from Spain April 9 – Spain recognizes Dutch independence May 23 - Official ratification of the Second Charter of Virginia. ... State nickname: Old Dominion Other U.S. States Capital Richmond Largest city Virginia Beach Governor Mark R. Warner (D) Official languages English Area 110,862 km² (35th) - Land 102,642 km² - Water 8,220 km² (7. ... Virginia Company of London Seal The London Company (also called the Virginia Company of London) was an English joint stock company established by royal charter by James I on April 10, 1606 with the purpose of establishing colonial settlements in North America. ... Smeatons tower on Plymouth Hoe Plymouth is a city in the South West of England, or alternatively the Westcountry, and is situated within the traditional county of Devon. ... Jamestown was a village by the James River in Virginia, about 45 miles (70 kilometers) southeast of where Richmond, Virginia, is now. ...
They were stranded on the islands for 10 months while they built two new ships to replace their shipwreck. By 1610 Somers had managed to construct the Deliverance and the Patience, and set sail from Bermuda for Jamestown. On arrival Somers found the colony decimated by starvation, illness and attacks by Native Americans. Fortunately, the supplies he brought saved them from oblivion. // Events January 7 - Galileo Galilei discovers the Galilean moons of Jupiter. ... A Sioux in traditional dress including war bonnet, circa 1908. ...
After they eventually reached Virginia (leaving behind three men who had elected to stay on Bermuda), their reports aroused great interest about the islands in England. Three years later, in 1612, the Virginia Company laid claim to the island, and sent a party of 60 settlers to Bermuda. Under the command of Sir Thomas Moore, the island's first governor, they founded and commenced construction of the town of St. George. Events January 20 - Mathias becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ... St. ...
Initially the Charter of the Virginia Company was extended to include them, but in 1615 King James granted a charter to a new organization, known as the Bermuda Company, which ran the island until 1684. Representative government was introduced to Bermuda in 1620, and it became a self-governing colony. Events June 2 - First Récollet missionaries arrive at Quebec City, from Rouen, France. ... James VI of Scotland and I of England (Charles James) (19 June 1566–27 March 1625) was a King who ruled over England, Scotland and Ireland, and was the first Sovereign to reign in the three realms simultaneously. ... Events France under Louis XIV makes Truce of Ratisbon separately with the Empire and Spain. ... Events September 6 - English emigrants on the Mayflower depart from Plymouth, England for the future New England and arrive at the end of the year. ...
The early colony
Bermuda was divided equally into one public territory (today known as St. Georges) and eight "tribes" (today known as "parishes"). These "tribes" were areas of land partitioned off to the "adventurers" (investors) of the Company - Devonshire, Hamilton, Paget, Pembroke, Sandys, Smith, Southampton and Warwick (thusfar, this usage of the word "tribes" is unique to the Bermuda example).
Initially, the colony grew tobacco as its only crop. The Company repeatedly advised more variety, not only because of the risks involved in a single-crop economy, but also because the Bermuda-grown tobacco was of particularly low quality (the Company was frequently forced to burn the supply that arrived back in England). It would take Bermuda some time to move away from this, especially as tobacco was the main form of currency. Species N. glauca N. longiflora N. rustica N. sylvestris N. tabacum Ref: ITIS 30562 as of 2002 August 28 Tobacco () is a broad-leafed plant of the nightshade family, indigenous to North and South America, whose dried and cured leaves are often smoked (see tobacco smoking) in the form of... Royal motto: Dieu et mon droit (French: God and my right) Englands location within the UK Official language English de facto Capital London de facto Largest city London Area - Total Ranked 1st UK 130,395 km² Population - Total (mid-2004) - Density Ranked 1st UK 50. ...
Slaves from Africa were brought to Bermuda soon after the colony was established. Unlike in the more well-known plantation-style slavery, the slaves in Bermuda were brought in for specialised labour, such as pearl diving and shipbuilding. The slave trade would be outlawed in Bermuda in 1807, and all slaves were freed in 1834. (Today, about 60% of Bermudians are of African descent, and almost all Bermudians would be able to easily find ancestors and relatives of African descent.) // Forestry plantations A plantation of Douglas-fir in Washington, USA; note the trees of uniform size and planted in straight lines, and the lack of diversity in the ground flora In forestry, plantations of trees are typically grown as an even-aged monoculture for timber production, as opposed to a... Pearl hunting refers to a now largely obsolete method of retreiving pearls from oysters. ... Men from Francisco de Orellanas expedition building a small brigantine, the San Pedro, to be used in the search for food Shipbuilding is the construction of ships. ... 1807 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ...
Later development
Due to the islands' isolation, for many years Bermuda remained an outpost of 17th-century British civilization, with an economy based on the use of the islands' Bermuda juniper (Juniperus bermudiana) trees for shipbuilding, and the salt trade. Since the loss of Britain's ports in the former thirteen colonies, Bermuda was also used as a stopover point between Canada and Britain's Caribbean possessions. Hamilton, a centrally located port founded in 1790, became the seat of government in 1815. Species 50-55 species; see text. ... City Hall in Hamilton. ... 1790 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... The Battle of New Orleans 1815 was a common year starting on Sunday (see link for calendar). ...
Tourism to the island to escape North American winters first developed in Victorian times. In the early 20th century, as modern transportation and communication systems developed, Bermuda's tourism industry began to develop and thrive, and Bermuda became a popular destination for wealthy US, Canadian, and British tourists. In addition, the tariff enacted by the United States against its trading partners in 1930 cut off Bermuda's once-thriving agricultural export trade—primarily fresh vegetables to the US—spurring the island to develop its tourist industry, A tourist boat travels the River Seine in Paris, France Beaches make popular tourist resorts Tourist redirects here; for the album by Athlete, see Tourist (album) Tourism can be defined as the act of travel for the purpose of recreation, and the provision of services for this act. ... 1930 is a common year starting on Wednesday. ...
Bermuda in World War II
During World War II, Bermuda became important as a military base because of its location in the Atlantic Ocean. In 1941, the United States signed a lend-lease agreement with the United Kingdom, giving the British surplus U.S. Navy destroyers in exchange for 99-year lease rights to establish naval and air bases in certain British territories. Bermuda was not included in this trade, but rather granted the US similar 99-year leases "freely and without consideration". (The commonly held belief that the Bermudian bases were part of the trade is not correct.) World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in... 1941 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... USS Lassen, an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer In naval terminology, a destroyer is a fast and manouverable yet long-endurance warship intended to escort larger vessels in a fleet or battle group and defend them against smaller, short-range attackers (originally torpedo boats, later submarines and aircraft). ...
The Bermuda bases consisted of 5.8 square kilometers (2.25 sq. mi.) of land, largely reclaimed from the sea. The USAAF airport, Kindley Field (later the Naval Air Station) was on St. David's Island, while the Naval Operations Base (later the Naval Air Station Annex) was at the western end of the island in the Great Sound. USAAF recruitment poster. ...
Recent events
Bermuda has prospered economically since World War II, developing into a highly successful offshore financial center. Tourism remains important to Bermuda's economy; it is second behind international business in terms of economic importance to the island. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons like the atom bomb World War II, also known as the Second World War, was by far the bloodiest, most expensive, and most significant war in...
Internal self-government was bolstered by the establishment of a formal constitution in 1968; debate about independence has ensued, although a 1995 independence referendum was soundly defeated. For many, Bermudian independence would mean little other than the obligation to staff foreign missions and embassies around the world, which can be a strong obligation for Bermuda's small population, and the loss of British passports (which could severly restrict travel, as few enough countries have even heard of little Bermuda, and could regard travellers with suspicion). The current government is promoting independence - by means of a general election (that is, the government of the day would have the power to decide whether to go independent or not) as opposed to a referendum (a direct ovte by the people) - by establishing a committee to investigate (though the committee is notably staffed with party members, and without representation by the opposition party). This stance is being supported by the UN, who have sent delegations to the island claiming that Bermuda is being suppressed by the British. 1968 was a leap year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1968 calendar). ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the United Nations, for other uses of UN see UN (disambiguation) Official languages English, French, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Arabic Secretary-General Kofi Annan (since 1997) Established October 24, 1945 Member states 191 Headquarters New York City, NY, USA Official site http://www. ...
Effective September 1, 1995, both US military bases were closed; British and Canadian bases on the island closed at about the same time. Unresolved issues concerning the 1995 withdrawal of US forces -- primarily related to environmental factors -- delayed the formal return of the base lands to the Government of Bermuda. The United States formally returned the base lands in 2002. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
Much of the material in this article comes from the CIA World Factbook 2000 and the 2003 U.S. Department of State website. World Factbook 2004 cover The World Factbook is an annual publication by the Central Intelligence Agency of the United States with basic almanac-style information about the various countries of the world. ...
Further reading
Basic history
* Terry Tucker, Bermuda: Today and Yesterday 1503-1980s (Baxter's, Hamilton, 1983)
* Wesley Frank Craven, An Introduction to the History of Bermuda (Bermuda Maritime Museum, Dockyard, 1990)
* Jean de Chantal Kennedy, Isle of Devils: Bermuda under the Somers Island Company (Collins, London, 1971)
* Henry C. Wilkinson, Bermuda from Sail to Steam: The History of the Island from 1784 to 1901: Volumes I and II (Oxford University, London, 1973)
Specific topics
* Virginia Bernhard, Slaves and Slaveholders in Bermuda 1616-1782 (University of Missouri, Columbia, 1999)
* Edward Cecil Harris, Bermuda Forts 1612-1957 (Bermuda Maritime Museum, Somerset, 1997)
* Wilfred Brenton Kerr, Bermuda and the American Revolution: 1760 - 1783 (Bermuda Maritime Museum, Dockyard, 1995)
* Nan Godet, Edward Harris, Pillars of the Bridge: The Establishment of the United States bases on Bermuda during the Second World War (Bermuda Maritime Museum, Dockyard, 1991)
Reference
* John Smith, The General Historie of Virginia, New-England and the Summer Isles (reprinted World, Cleveland, 1966)
* Vernon A. Ives (editor), The Rich Papers: Letters from Bermuda 1615-1646 (Bermuda National Trust, Hamilton, 1984)
* J. H. Lefroy (editor), Memorials of the Discovery and Early Settlement of the Bermudas or Somers Islands 1515-1685: Volumes I and II (reprinted Bermuda Historial Society and National Trust, Hamilton, 1981)
External links
* Bermuda Island.net - Detailed Bermuda History
* Bermuda 4U - Timeline showing Bermuda's history
Categories: Bermuda
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